2013-2014 Bankruptcy Law Section Preview

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The Bankruptcy Section will kick off the 2013-2014 program year with a Fall Welcome reception on Wednesday September 25th, featuring Judges Feeney & Boroff as well as Harvard Law School Professor Bruce H. Mann, uncovering the long and proud history of Boston’s Bankruptcy Court. Click here to RSVP.

Also on the docket…
The Commercial Finance Committee will be partnering up with the Intellectual Property Section to present a CLE program addressing the effect of bankruptcy on trademarks, copyrights, and license agreements.

This coming program year also marks the 10th year that the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program will train lawyers to provide community outreach to educate students in Massachusetts schools about personal finances. This year, the program served a record-breaking 1,298 students.

Beyond the Billable

Youth employment opportunities, like the BBA Summer Jobs positions, provide valuable professional experience to prepare students for their future academic and career endeavors.

Over 700 Boston teens took to the streets last Thursday to advocate for an increase in state funding for youth employment. According to this Boston Globe article, teens are worried that the increase in minimum wage and proposed budget cuts will results in at least 1,000 less jobs this year.

The decrease in the overall number of jobs for Boston teens presents an even greater need for the legal community to take the lead and to support Mayor Walsh’s efforts to provide over 10,000 Boston teens with summer employment by hiring a student (or more than one!) through the BBA Summer Jobs Program.

The good news is that the legal community has already stepped up to continue to provide quality summer internships for Boston youth through the BBA Summer Jobs Program. We already have 48 student positions secured, which puts us well on our way to passing last year’s 64 positions

Are you interested in getting involved? Contact Katie D’Angelo at kdangelo@bostonbar.org for more information on how to hire a student.

Attorneys volunteered at the Prison Book Program with the New Lawyers Public Service Committee.

The red line issues didn’t deter a group of New Lawyers from traveling to Quincy this weekend to volunteer at the Prison Book Program. The Prison Book Program sends thousands of free books to prisoners every year, and the books offer escape, entertainment, and practical information. Throughout the morning, the volunteers read the prisoner’s request, found the appropriate book for each prisoner, and prepared the books for mailing.

Lianne Henderson, a 3L at New England Law School, organized the volunteer event on behalf of the New Lawyers Public Service Committee. Here’s what she had to say about why new attorneys and law students should take advantage of these volunteer events:

“I think new lawyers and law students should participate in the BBA’s weekend volunteer opportunities because they allow you to see the community in which you work in a different light with people you may not usually work with. It is fun to do some good work while meeting new people, and doing service is a good way to reflect on your life and career and all of the opportunities you have had. “

Are you interested in weekend volunteer opportunities? Don’t miss the opportunity to volunteer at Greater Boston Food Bank on March 21st. Click here to learn more.

The Volunteer Lawyers Project is a 2014 BBF Grantee. The BBA also supports grantees in other capacities including holding pro bono trainings and recruiting volunteers for their efforts. In the photo above, staff from the Volunteer Lawyers Project discuss volunteer opportunities with interested law students at the Suffolk Pro Bono Fair in October.

The Boston Bar Foundation (BBF) has released its application for the 2015 grants cycle. As you probably know, the BBF grants support programs and organizations that advance access to legal services, improve fair administration of justice, and help expand public understanding of the law. Combined with money raised from events such as the John & Abigail Adams Benefit, the BBF grants its portion of Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funds to legal service organizations. However, in response to the decline in IOLTA funding, the BBF has stepped up and increased its commitment to funding legal services by granting a greater portion of its own fundraising. Last year the BBF’s contributions were almost half of the total funds granted.

So how does the grant making process work? Beyond the Billable is bringing you a firsthand look at how the grant decisions are made. Take a look below:

The members of the BBF Grants Committee spend countless hours reviewing each application, discussing the current needs within legal services and the Greater Boston area, and examining emerging issues affecting low-income individuals in our community. While reviewing applications, the BBF Grants Committee looks for organizations that:

Demonstrably enhance the administration of justice in Massachusetts (i.e. improve the courts’ effectiveness, address systemic problems in the court system or provide information to low-income, underserved or special needs populations regarding their legal rights and/or accessibility to the courts).

Last year, the BBF granted $825,500 to 23 community legal service providers. Among the grantees are organizations working to assist low-income families and individuals who face problems relating to immigration, domestic violence, and homelessness, as well as increasingly prevalent issues such as human trafficking and environmental justice. To learn more about last year’s grantees, please check out our website.

Please contact the BBA/BBF Public Service Manager Sonia Shah at sshah@bostonbar.org if you have any questions about the BBF grant process.